Brink of Love and Pain
by x Kihana x
Summary: When Garnet was to become queen, Zidane became morose. Angry with her, he left her and went to Treno only to hear that she was attacked and now in a coma. Alexandria’s people wished she’d survive and become queen; Zidane wished he could tell her his f


Brink of Love and Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings within this story. They all belong to Squaresoft. ^^

Brink of Love and Pain 

The hours of darkness had adorned their exquisiteness in the large kingdom of Alexandria. A young man named Zidane Tribal sat at a diminutive table in a bar in that large kingdom, remarkably morose about the total of events that recently taken place in his life. He couldn't believe the girl he adored, Garnet Til Alexandros, was going to be queen now. How could they be alienated so soon? He truly enjoyed traveling with her and seeing her smile at the awe-inspiring things she saw in Gaia thus far. He wanted to continue to see her smile at the sites he would take her to, but that could not occur anymore. She was going to be queen tomorrow because of her mother, the now late Queen Brahne's death. Garnet could not be the absconder princess anymore. 

A princess. Is that why he cared so much for her…because she was a princess and hence majestic? No, that couldn't be it. He loved her. He always had to forsake that thought because they could never be. Foremost, she would indubitably laugh at him if he told her such a thing. He flirted with a myriad amount of girls, and she unmistakably thought of him as a flirtatious thief who didn't know what love was. But he did know what it was. Second of all, she was going to be a queen, and he would continue to be a thief. They were from two separate and diverse worlds. 

Zidane was so absentminded at the thought of Garnet that he did not realize the bar hostess was staring cantankerously at him. He looked up with an enraged face wondering why she was staring. She gesticulated to the clock on the wall and that visibly was a signal to him that it was closing time and that he should leave. He buried his face in his hands and didn't move. He was in an atrocious mood; not even his friends in Tantalus who came to cheer him up before could make him talk. 

"Zidane!" a few proverbial voices called. He picked his head up with a start. All of his friends were standing in front of him, all glancing at their leader. 

"Z-Zidane?" inquired the shy Vivi. "We're going to Treno. Do you want to come along with us?" Zidane's blue eyes lit up and he grinned at the timorous Black Mage who was waiting for his response; eager he would come and stop being so miserable.

"Of course I'll come!" he yelled gleefully, something his comrades did not anticipate. "I wouldn't want to miss the Card Tournament takin' place there. And a prospect to meet some hot women!" he finished as everyone groaned; even the small kitten that had been sitting in the corner watching actually groaned as well. Zidane blatantly seemed to be himself again, the charismatic thief who almost certainly dated every female on Gaia. 

"Don't you ever give up?" Amarant questioned, grunting. "Even after a princess ditched you, you're still at it. Again, I don't get you." With that said, he walked out.

"I do have to consent with Amarant on this one, Zidane," laughed Freya. "Come on, then. We're parting right now."

Zidane stood up. "You guys go on ahead. There's something I want to see quick." They all nodded and he waited for them to get far ahead before he came out. 

After some brief walking through Alexandria, he looked up to the prodigious and grandeur Alexandria Castle. He saw the silhouette of a girl who once traveled with him staring out, their eyes locking. She instantaneously stood up when she saw Zidane and opened her window. Garnet was about to call his name, but he hastily turned away from her with a grimace, heading toward the entrance of Alexandria—leaving for Treno—departing from her, forever, maybe. He relinquished the thought of saying goodbye, and left. 

Garnet sighed and looked out her window at her newly inherited kingdom of Alexandria. Everything was so serene, but she could never be halcyon now that Zidane had left her. Why did she feel like this, though? It was only Zidane, a friend. Oh, how she wished their relationship could be more. She closed her window and fell to her knees on the floor of her room. She buried her face in her hands and cried. She couldn't comprehend why Zidane was being so mean and discourteous. She was going to be queen. Garnet was not the girl that could go with him on adventures anymore; he'd have to acquiesce that. If she hadn't run away in the first place, maybe her mother would still be alive. The feeling in her as she thought of Zidane leaving ached her heart so significantly that she wanted to just scream as loud as she could. Crying, the princess fell asleep.

The Princess of Alexandria woke up with a start a few hours later; her heart almost skipping a beat once she heard a large crash. Fearing the worst, she was unfortunately correct. She got off of her bed and ran to her window, awe-struck at what she saw. A large, dragon-like beast was outside her window and once it saw her, it derided at Garnet and shattered the glass of her window with its claw. She gasped and fell backwards, vulnerable. Crawling to get the help of her protectors, she was too late. It besieged her room with flames, causing everything around her to turn to inclusive debris. It wasn't the worst to happen.

The beast grabbed Garnet and lifted up a piece of sharp glass it left from the shattering of her window. It whipped it at her, causing her to scream in appalling pain and leaving an undeviating scar where it hit her, on her neck. That wound caused her to lose her beauteous voice. The beast then ensued to charge at her, pinning her down as it clawed her face; leaving enduring scars as well. It lifted a chalice that set upon her desk and flung it at her face. She was crying, but no resonance's came out. The traumatized princess caught the glimpse of her rod in which she fought battles with and decided to take a probability with it. She kicked the beast, causing it to be diverted a trifle bit. She reached for her rod, but when she was about to hit the beast, it seized the rod from her and hit her in her legs with it numerous times. 

General Beatrix made her way up to Garnet's room through the flames. She ran into her room and instantly pulled out her Save the Queen sword, slashing at the beast with all of her strength. Seeing the princess's state made her fight with all her vigor. She straightforwardly conquered it and she almost screamed when she saw just how wounded the princess was. Consternation wholly filled her heart hastily. Putting her sword away, she ran to Garnet.

"Your Highness, everything will be all right," she assured her. "Could you move?" No response. Garnet was unconscious. Beatrix took a deep breath and lifted the cataleptic princess out of the wreckage, trying not to hurt her. She carried her out of the burning castle, which was an interminable progression. The general studied her face: It had copious scars all over it. She had to get her to safety. Garnet was too young to die and she did not merit what had happened to her. 

The Alexandrian General ran to a young woman who was in the vicinity of the entrance of Alexandria, about to escape this town of calamity. She saw Beatrix and in her arms she then saw the unconscious Princess of Alexandria. 

"Please, take her to safety," Beatrix solicited, caressing Garnet's cold face. "She will not survive unless you do. I must stay and defend Alexandria. Please help her," she pleaded once more. The young woman nodded and held out her arms as Beatrix placed Garnet gently in them. A small house near them was burning so much that it was about to disintegrate. Terrified, the woman ran out of Alexandria and tried taking Garnet to protection and safety.

In Treno, Zidane walked out of where the card tournament was taking place; a grin on his face and an innovative set of cards in his hand. As he walked around Treno, he saw Eiko running towards him with a grave look on her face as she brought him abysmal news. 

"Zidane!" the little summoner girl screamed. "Alexandria is under attack, and it is said that everything—even the castle itself—has been decimated! Garnet has been taken to Dali but no one knows if she's going to…make it." She took a deep breath and looked up to Zidane. His aqua eyes just stared at hers and he entirely froze. His hands began to shake frenziedly which caused him to drop all the cards he had just won. Dismissing that, he smiled meekly.

"I'm sure she'll make it," he said assertively. Zidane turned away from her and was about to walk away when Eiko ran after him and stood in front of him, holding out her small arms so he couldn't walk any further. "What's wrong, Eiko? If she doesn't make it, life will have to go on." Inwardly, he berated himself. Without his Dagger, he could never ever go on.

"Zidane!" she reprimanded him irritably. "Snap out of it! What's the matter with you? How could you say such a thing? She loves you, Zidane! And you love her! We have to go see her!" she yelled, not caring who heard her. He froze and felt like pushing Eiko in the water near they were standing for speaking such things. What she spoke just now was considered absolute lies to him. 

…They weren't lies. He did love her, even if she did not. A world without Garnet in it was not worth living in. A person once told Zidane that someone very special only comes once in a lifetime; so do not let them go when you find that person. That person in Zidane's life was Garnet, and he could not let her go now that he found her; found love.

Zidane did not have time to apologize to Eiko of his prior actions. He ran to Doctor Tot's house in Treno so he could inform him of the adverse news; consequently Doctor Tot could help Garnet. Subsequently, they all took transportation to Dali.

Four strenuous and tantalizing days passed, and finally Dali had come into view. It looked so serene. If only the intact world could be this peaceful. If only Garnet could be this tranquil. If only she were not in pain, if only he could see her for one final time to apologize. If only he could hold her in his arms and tell her the truth of his feelings. These and countless other thoughts were what flew through his mind. Renouncing them yet hopeful they would come true, he walked into the town of Dali. Eiko, the only one who came with Zidane there, followed behind unenthusiastically. The others went to Alexandria to help defend the intense battle that still might have been taking place.

Perceptibly Garnet would be in the inn, it being the contiguous thing to an infirmary. Eiko knew Zidane would want to spend some time alone with Garnet, and albeit she wanted to see her more than anything, she waited outside the inn. Zidane eagerly walked in as the owner of the inn gesticulated to the door to his left, it being the door leading to his lost love…

Zidane walked into the room in which Garnet was in, his eyes searching for her rapidly. In a small bed in front of him was the Alexandrian Princess. He ran over to her and fell to his knees beside her bed. Her angelic face was covered in bandages and bruises. A long gash was across her neck with numerous other ones. A white silken blanket adorned her fragile body, which hid her other wounds. Why wouldn't she move? Just a small twitch of her nose would be good enough, anything. He diffidently moved his hand adjacent to her face and finally touched it, stroking her face softly. It was so cold, like ice. The worst part was that Zidane was wearing gloves upon his hands. 

No, that wasn't the worst part. The worst was that Garnet Til Alexandros was presently in a comatose state.

"Dagger, why are you like this…?" he questioned her. He caressed her long raven strands of hair, which were spread all around her. He touched one of her tendrils that fell to her shoulders, and then he traced his hand down to her chin and further down to her pendant she always wore. He wished Garnet would wake up and admonish him for having his hand near her breast. Then he'd have to come up with an excuse. Thinking of that brought a smile to his face, something he hadn't done for five days. He took her limp, unresponsive hand in his own, entwining his fingers with hers. He then stood up slowly and knelt down to her face and brushed his lips affectionately on her cheek. Still, she had not reproved him for doing such a thing. It wasn't fair.

"Dagger," Zidane whispered, so low that it was nearly inaudible. "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been candid with you from the beginning about how I felt about you. And now you're gone; now I can't tell you. I'm sorry I acted so callous when you were going to become queen. I just did not like the idea that I wouldn't be able to be with you anymore; inhaling your scent, hearing you sing that lovely melody. You're the first one that I ever felt this way about. I love you, Dagger… I always have. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I loved you. And it's not because you're royalty, either. Please…come back to me… I can't live without you…"

Garnet was in the coma. While in it, she was in a light. Everything there was so serene and tranquil. Was this death? No, because it still hurt. She felt pain. But abandoning the pain, she listened intimately. Someone was calling her; calling her name in tones of love and despair. She struggled to classify the voice. Everything hurt so much. It would have been so easy to just let go and die. Garnet recognized the voice through the shadowed dimness that encircled her. Zidane? Has he come to save her, again? She couldn't make out what he was saying, but then a few words here and there began to break through clearly to her.

"I love you, Dagger."

That one sentence flew clearly through her mind. And that voice, it belonged to Zidane. So, he loved her. It was one of the innumerable incentives why she had to come back. Strength prevailed over her, and she knew she had to return to the one who loved her. She could not die; she couldn't leave Zidane or Alexandria. She fought, pushing back obscurity that threatened to take her for eternity.

Zidane continued to caress Garnet's hair and held her lifeless hand, wishing for a response. But it was too late. Her face was wholly blue and pale like a lifeless body. He had lost her. He whispered her name once more, laying his head down beside hers on the pillow, still holding her hand as securely as he could…

And felt the force of her grip on his fingers. 

Zidane opened his eyes immediately, searching Garnet's beautiful face for signs of response. Her brown eyes opened slowly to see the one who she heard calling her name and telling her she loved her. The princess let out a small moaning sound as a tear escaped her eye, only to be wiped away by Zidane. And as he touched her face, she put her hand on his and gave a small smile. Her hand felt much warmer than when he touched it before. Zidane returned her smile and wrapped his arms around her, giving the Princess of Alexandria a lovingly embrace. 

"Oh, Dagger," he sighed softly. "Thank goodness you're alive. I know it will be difficult to explain if you can remember this, but could you tell me who or what did this to you?" He knelt down on one knee, still holding her hand, locking his eyes with hers, and bowing his head. A few awkward and uncomfortable seconds passed, and he looked up to her to see tears brimming her eyes with a scowl. Zidane grimaced as well. Garnet was never this quiet around him. 

Manifestly, Garnet had lost her voice. The slash across her throat proved that. And with all the agony of her people, the death of her mother, and the pain she presently felt all resulted with the loss of her voice. Zidane, of course, could not acquiesce that and queried Doctor Tot if it were true. Unfortunately, it was. 

"Dagger, don't worry," he assured her. "I'll take care of you till you're all better and then we can go and annihilate Kuja for doing this to Alexandria, your mother, and you. And after that, we'll go on that date you promised me. Of course, we'll have to fix Rusty up with Beatrix so he won't follow us on our date." The young thief smiled to himself, now deep in thought pertaining to upcoming plans. 

Garnet couldn't help but laugh inwardly at Zidane. He was very sweet to her, especially for his offer of taking care of her as a replacement for being with his other comrades. That inward laugh gradually faded, though, because he mentioned her protectors. They could be gone now, killed in the battle of defending Alexandria. She glimpsed out her window to see the dark atmosphere. Silently she prayed; hopeful they were alive as well as the other gallant fighters of Alexandria.

Over the next few weeks, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros made an extraordinary revitalization. She couldn't walk yet, nor had she reclaimed her capability to talk, either; but her wounds healed and she was lastly able to move without hesitation. It hurt so much to even blink when she first woke from her comatose state. And during those few weeks, Zidane stayed with Garnet as he promised. He entertained her, kept her from having solitude and melancholy in her heart, and he even caught her smiling at his jokes. The two became very close to each other even though one of the two could not speak. 

After a few weeks, Steiner and Beatrix arrived to Dali unscathed to bring Her Highness positive news—they had defended Alexandria well and its people had been making a tremendous recovery. Her protectors promised to help with the conquering of Kuja and so did Zidane's comrades. Clearly everything started to become nonviolent once again. However, Garnet still could not speak. That troubled Zidane because he dreaded he would never hear Garnet's beauteous voice sing the song he loved anymore. 

The sun rose in a warm morning on Gaia, its luminescent emission of rays embellishing its gorgeousness in Dali. If only it could always be this serene. Zidane stood on the sandy beaches in close proximity to the village of Dali as thoughts filled his mind. He sincerely wished and dreamed Princess Garnet would be able to walk to him on that beach as she sang that song he adored. He would give his life up after that ensued; anything to make it come true. He wondered why he even thought of such things. Was it love? Of course, he even told her he loved her. But maybe she didn't even hear him; she never told him he loved him back. Now, her voice being gone forever, she could never tell him that she…

Zidane froze. He relinquished all those thoughts that made him despondent and turned around with his eyes closed. A warm feeling in his heart and mind made him feel as though he had died and gone to a better place. It was the best feeling in all of Gaia; it was his wish. His wish came true. To make sure it was not a delusion occurring in his mind, he opened his eyes to attest that his wish had come true. There she was.

A smile was on her face as her dark hair flew behind her and her perfect figure. The hair outlining her face highlighted her gleaming brown eyes and light lips. She wore a long, silken regal gown that would glisten in any light. A gown of white silk flowed about her fragile body. Convoluted designs of a silver crown lay upon her raven tresses, apt beautifications for royalty. Her precious pendant was around her neck. Her beauty amazed Zidane, as always. It wasn't the best part, though. A sweet voice sang and danced through the air. It was charming and exhilarating to the mind of any person, especially Zidane's.

She walked slowly towards him, taking each step carefully. She stopped walking and finished the end of her song, her voice echoing the last few words. Garnet then ran to Zidane as fast as her wounded legs would allow her to, still a limp in them. He opened his arms and caught her, almost falling backwards from the impact. He spun her around and embraced her firmly; them being absorbed in each other.

"Dagger, you can speak," he observed, obviously quite amazed at that and her astound recovery. "You look so beautiful…"

"Yes, I can, and thank you," she replied with a trivial blush. "It is time for me to become queen now and avenge my mother's death." 

Her declaring such things brought a slight grimace to Zidane. "Then that must mean we can't travel together anymore," he conceded in a distressing voice.

"Wipe that sad look off of your face," she retorted. "We're going after Kuja. All of us." 

"You look so sexy when you're angry," smirked Zidane, trying to riposte her back for berating him for being saddened if she were to not be able to travel with him. Of course, him telling Garnet that she looked sexy made her even angrier, so she playfully kicked Zidane and grabbed his arm. "Whoa, where're you taking me?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Garnet asked. "I said I'm going to become queen now, so we're going to the coronation. I'm a bit apprehensive about doing this, though." 

Zidane stopped and pulled her arm gently, causing her to turn to him. He gave her a reassuring smile, which was just enough to alleviate her anxiety of becoming queen of the great nation of Alexandria. "You'll make a wonderful queen."

After a few minutes of running, the two came upon an outsized flower field filled with daises, roses, jasmines, violets, and various other delightfully scented flowers of Gaia. In the center of an area lacking flowers, a long crimson rug was laid out, ending at a small, silver platform. A young priest stood in back of the platform, waiting patiently for the ceremony of the crowning of the new queen to begin. The crowd, mostly made up of Dali's people and refugees of Alexandria, also waited unwearyingly talking amongst themselves. Her comrades in prior battles were also present, more accurately, Zidane's comrades. Truly it was stunning, and it made the princess wonder how much more elegant the coronation would be if it took place in Alexandria. 

Eiko Carol spotted the tense princess and ran down to her, grasping tightly to a long, golden staff with intricate jewels and a purple orb at its top. Perceptibly it was given to her to give to Garnet as part of the ceremony.

"Good luck," the summoner girl whispered to Garnet, handing the staff to her and bowing lightly. Garnet smiled to her and then to Zidane, bowing her head to him as she gestured to him to stand on the side till the ceremonial was complete.

And consequently Princess Garnet Til Alexandros walked down the aisle to become Queen Garnet Til Alexandros, holding the staff for the last time as a princess. It was silent as she timidly held the staff in her left hand; also holding the lower part of her flowing gown in her right hand; her head bowed. And after what seemed like a ceaseless walk down the aisle, she lastly reached the end to the platform. She glanced back at Zidane, who shot her a smile of assurance as she meekly smiled back. It was just his smile that ridded her of her trepidation. 

She knelt down in front of the platform and the priest as she put the golden staff upon it. The Alexandrian General Beatrix stepped forward and removed the silver crown off of Garnet's head, placing it on a pillow and handed it to Steiner, who, in exchange for the silver crown, gave her a beautifully elaborate designed crown upon a small pillow. Beatrix held it above Princess Garnet's head and slowly lowered it after each phrase Garnet reluctantly recited after the priest. And finally, after the reciting, the crown was placed on Garnet's head.

Garnet stood up as Beatrix stood by her. The priest lifted the golden staff and raised it above his head as Garnet put her arms out. He placed it within them as Garnet turned around gradually; this time, holding the golden staff as a queen and not a princess; as Queen Garnet Til Alexandros. She faced the crowd and let out a long sigh of relief as the crowd gave an acclaim to her. The new Alexandrian Queen looked up to the sky of Gaia and the doves that flew by, wondering if, somewhere above, her mother, the late Queen Brahne, was watching.

Zidane pushed himself through the crowd and made his way to the aisle, not being able to hold in his emotions any longer. When he told her he loved her while she was in her comatose state, he wasn't sure if Garnet had heard him. But this time, he would make sure she would. He renounced the thoughts of the eccentric looks he would receive if he did what he planned in the next few seconds, running forward.

"Dagger!" he yelled, his voice echoing louder than the shouts of her real name that others shouted for the new queen. She heard it, since he was the only to call that name. Her eyes watered and the tears escaped. She put the staff down and removed the golden crown from her head, handing it to Beatrix. She smiled to her as Beatrix gave her an odd look, evidently wondering what she was doing.

"I shall be Queen Garnet Til Alexandros, Beatrix," she promised. "But right now, I just want to be Dagger," she finished with light laughter, pointing to her Zidane. The general nodded with a smile as Garnet ran to the young thief Zidane. 

Zidane stopped running and extended his arms as Garnet embraced herself within them, a warm feeling of reassurance and love filling in her body at his very touch. She sobbed on his shoulder as he caressed her hair. She sobbed for countless motives that they both knew of, and just thinking about them made tears brim Zidane's eyes as well. But instead of letting out his emotions, he concentrated on Garnet's emotions and promised himself inwardly that he would try his best to placate the new queen, his Dagger.

To begin his condoling, he traced his hand from her hair to her chin, lifting it from his shoulder as her eyes locked with his. Zidane smiled to her as Garnet felt her eyes close and all the past pain she felt leave as Zidane placed his lips on hers. And as they kissed, it was as if the two were forever absorbed in each other for eternity with no worries.

"I love you, too," Garnet whispered as the couple pulled away slowly simultaneously. She had added the word "too" in her sentence, but Zidane hadn't told her he had loved her at that moment, so why did she add that word? He wondered that very thought for a succinct moment and then realized that Garnet had heard what he told her, that he loved her, while she was in her comatose state before. They held each other in the field, the clouds in the sky the witness of their display of love.

Zidane had always dreaded when he first felt feelings for the young princess that when she would become queen, they would not be able to travel any longer; that he wouldn't be able to be with her. But he did not have to worry about that anymore for the reason that she was now queen and soon after, his comrades, Zidane, and Garnet continued to travel and be together. And they were together till the very concluding mêlée battle with Kuja. But the two in love couldn't be with each other subsequent to that since Zidane stayed behind at the Iifa Tree to help Kuja. Despondency filled her heart during those two perpetual years, but happiness then filled her heart the day he did return to her and the couple were reunited. 

Looking back on that day, both Garnet and Zidane considered it to be the happiest day of their lives. But then they thought of their wedding day, which took about a month later; and instead, considered that day to be their happiest day of their lives. It was a thief marrying a queen. True, they were from two separate worlds. But they were in love; and when in love, nothing else matters. 


End file.
